Tuesday, December 01, 2009

LudoBites at Royal/T (Culver City, CA)

August 22nd marked the last day of the second iteration of Ludovic Lefebvre's widely-lauded "guerilla style pop-up" restaurant LudoBites. For the uninitiated, the concept aimed to create a "bistronomy" of sorts, by marrying the seemingly antithetical objectives of haute cuisine, intimacy, and democratic pricing. LudoBites at Breadbar ran from May 19th, and despite its short lifespan, proved to be a smashing success, a turning point in LA's culinary landscape, even.

Before the doors even shut at Breadbar, patrons were already speculating as to where Ludo would end up next--would he find a permanent home, or would he continue to "pop-up" at various establishments in the Southland? Though rumors and tweets were plentiful in those final weeks of August, it was eventually announced that LudoBites, the third, would run from for 13 days in December. The location would not be Breadbar, however, but cosplay café-cum-retail shop-cum-art gallery Royal/T in Culver City. LudoBites and Royal/T Get In Bed Together (a rather unwieldy nom, I must say) thus represents an intersection of food and art, with LudoBites running in conjunction with Curator Jane Glassman's exhibit "In Bed Together."

LudoBites at Royal/T began taking reservations on November 3rd, via email only. I, of course, jumped on this with ferocious velocity (the event sold out within days), and was able to secure a reservation for six on December 2nd, opening night...or is it? It turns out that upstart food enthusiast community web site FoodDigger played a pivotal role in getting the word out for the last LudoBites, and because of this prior relationship, was able to convince Ludo and company to open one night earlier, to serve a small party of 16 guests in a FoodDigger-sponsored dinner.

This was my first time at Royal/T, which was opened by philanthropist-slash-art collector Susan Hancock in April 2008. The space is housed in long, thin, 10,000sqft building, broken up into various exhibition areas, a VIP lounge, retail store, and restaurant.

The art at Royal/T rotates regularly, with this latest exhibition being ARTeamLA founder Jane Glassman's "In Bed Together." The collection debuted on November 20th, and represents Glassman's vision for a collaborative art exhibit, featuring 50 works by 50 artists selected by 50 art professionals. The idea, thus, is to draw attention to how each specific role, each person in the art world is somehow dependent and interconnected with one another. Examples of the art are shown in the collage above.

Royal/T is, of course, known for its cosplay servers, and here we see LudoBites veteran Daria decked out in a maid's outfit!

While waiting for dinner to begin, the group was left to mill around, polishing off a bottle of the 2006 Santomas Big Red and a magnum of Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Brut Millésimé Merfy in the process.

Once we sat down, Marshal spoke briefly about FoodDigger and the concept behind it. He highlighted the site's Flavor Match algorithm, a unique feature that aims to match the food preferences of users, in order to create more meaningful restaurant review results.

Above, we see the night's menu, comprised of a whimsical selection of small plates; click for a larger version. As for the libations, Domaine LA has created a small, focused wine list of about a dozen bottles for the restaurant, priced very reasonably at roughly $15 above retail. I will note that, although the previous versions of LudoBites were known for their lax BYOB policy, Royal/T does have a liquor license, and thus corkage will be enforced at $15 per bottle. On this night however, wine pairings were graciously provided by the FoodDigger staff.

Here, we see Krissy showing off her brand new soft box. At my last LudoBites meal, I struggled with the lighting at Breadbar, and facetiously suggested that she consider setting up a soft box in the restaurant's next incarnation. Little did I suspect that Krissy would actually take the suggestion to heart!

Before the meal began, Krissy poured us glasses of Bernard Remy Champagne Grand Cru. Then, Ludo came out to say a few words and joined us in a toast. He was duly impressed by the bubbly, as seen in the last photo!

We were invited out to watch the preparation of the first course...

1: Scallop, Brown Butter, Pineapple & Black Powder2008 Telmo Rodríguez Rueda Basa Blanco
Ludo explained that the scallops were initially raw, but were then topped in the beurre noisette to be "cooked." I was afraid that this would impart an overly heavy flavor to the bivalves, but fortunately, that wasn't the case. Rather, the scallops remained delicate in flavor, and their sweetness was deftly accentuated by the use of pineapple, which also contributed a great tanginess to the dish. The so-called "black powder" (really squid ink powder), meanwhile, added an interesting finish to the mollusks.

2: Bread Soup with Gruyere Marshmallow2008 Telmo Rodríguez Rueda Basa Blanco
Upon reading the description of this dish, I was expecting a soup with some chunks of bread within. Rather, what I got instead was a homogenous potage imbued with the very marrow of bread (the actual loaf, from Breadbar, is shown in the second photo). Javier summed it up nicely by stating that it was like "sipping on pure toast." As you'd imagine, the soup was a bit austere on its own, so the key for me was the poached egg, which added a lovely creaminess to the dish. The Gruyère, meanwhile, was surprisingly mild, and provided a nice cool temperature contrast.

3: Foie Gras Beignet, Celery Roots Remoulade2003 Château Charmail
The beignets themselves were pure decadence: a sweet attack leading to the pure, sensuous essence of a full two ounces of rich, decadent liver. The inspiration for this dish came from Parisian restaurant Citrus Étoile, which Ludo visited in September. The Chef tweetedtwice about the brilliance of the beignets, and here at LudoBites he presents his own interpretation of the dish. Along with the red Port glaze, he pairs the pastries with his céleri rémoulade, or sliced celeriac with a tangy remoulade. Its piquant, vegetal, even curry-tinged flavor was a superb counter to the luxuriousness of the foie (I wanted more of it!). I remarked that a smaller size would make the beignet easier to eat, but according to Ludo, if you go too small, you risk overcooking the foie.

4: Squid, Chorizo Oil, Kimchi Puree & Red Onions2003 Château Charmail
The squid itself was deftly cooked, imbued with the pure, briny soul of the cephalopod. It was definitely kicked up a notch by the savory chorizo and the fantastic, pungent kimchi in particular. The onions, meanwhile, adding a bracing bitter tang, while the eggplant paper contributed an earthy smokiness. This was a great way to pique the palate after the sheer opulence of the preceding foie gras.

Throughout the night, Krissy helped ensure that service went off without a hitch.

5: Veal, Udon, Kombu Dashi, Mushrooms & Sesame Seed Miso2006 Domaine Jo Pithon Savennières La Croix Picot2007 Joseph Swan Vineyards Pinot Noir Cuvée de Trois
Regular readers will know that I'm generally not a fan of veal, finding it a bit boring compared to beef. Thus, the meat's accoutrements are absolutely crucial in making or breaking a dish for me--this definitely made it. The veal was marinated in a commixture of French spices, giving it a rather prodigious taste for veal. Ludo then proceeds in a Japanese-inspired direction. I loved the mildness of the udon (as well as its texture) and how the noodles matched the richness of the meat, which was heightened by the umami-heavy broth. The scallions then offset the weightiness of the dish with a beautiful vegetal tang, completing the course. The sesame miso provided a lovely piquant smack, but wasn't necessary in my opinion. This is something I could just eat a big bowl of!

6: Wild Striped Bass, Garden Vegetables, Aioli2007 Joseph Swan Vineyards Pinot Noir Cuvée de Trois
The bass was cooked to a firm, yet supple texture. Alone, it was pleasantly tangy, yet a bit monolithic, so I really enjoyed how the various vegetables (the cauliflower especially) balanced out the gravitas of the fish. Interestingly, upon seeing this, I thought that Ludo might've been inspired by the classic Provençal dish Le Grand Aïoli, which consists of fish, veggies, and eggs, paired with aioli--it wasn't.

7: Marinated Hanger Steak, Crunchy Escargot, Baby Corn, Bok Choy & Black Olive Mole2005 Domaine Tissot Poulsard Arbois Sans Soufre
An oft overlooked cut of beef, the hanger steak, or onglet, is known for its beefy savor, which was apparent here in spades--sweet and smoky, I could've easily devoured it alone. The steak's accompaniments, however, mustn't be overlooked. I first paired the beef with the bok choy, and then the baby corn (in its husk, which I've never seen before), and greatly enjoyed the mitigating effect of both vegetables. The crux of this course, though, was the mole, which was Ludo's take on the mole Zacatecano that he learned to make from Javier's mother. Simultaneously sweet, savory, and spicy, it was complex, fascinating, mysterious even, and went absolutely beautifully with the beef. My favorite course of the night.

8: Fourme d’ Ambert Tourte, Red Pears, Honey-Balsamic2005 Domaine Tissot Poulsard Arbois Sans Soufre
A positively ancient cheese, Fourme d’ Ambert is a semi-hard French cow's milk blue from Auvergne. I've had it a few times before (at XIV and Guy Savoy, notably), but here at LudoBites, it was baked into a tourte, or tart, form. The tart was marvelous, and demonstrated the cheese's saltiness, as well as its characteristic bleu finish. As good as it was, it was made even better by the pear, which provided a stupendous, sugary contrast. Very, very good.

9: Chocolate Cake, Coconut Sorbet, Caramel Coffee2005 Domaine Tissot Poulsard Arbois Sans Soufre2007 Dönnhoff Riesling
We ended with a single, seemingly straightforward dessert. The chocolate cake, not surprisingly, was pure decadence. The liquid sorbet, thus, was instrumental in tempering its gravity--so far, a pretty standard pairing. The beauty here, however, was contained within the bits of pink peppercorn, which conveyed a profound pungency that I absolutely adored.

After dinner, Ludo came out to say a few words and thank us, and we applauded him for a job well done.

We were then provided a tour of the kitchen, which is actually smaller than the one at Breadbar. It also doesn't help that LudoBites has to share the kitchen with Royal/T's own in-house cafe.

Though LudoBites and Royal/T Get In Bed Together is advertised as a confluence of food AND art, based on what's on the plate, I must begin to think of the experience as food AS art. As with his previous restaurants, Ludo again serves up a playful selection of seemingly incongruous dishes, not always entirely successful, but invariably interesting. In his reimaginations of French fare, we get to see Ludo's commitment to creativity, his ode to the rigors of classical technique, his interpretation of the quintessence of bistronome, the heart and soul of a chef. The question, now, is whether or not Ludo is actively seeking a traditional brick & mortar space to call his home. He likes the freedom, the simplicity, the low-cost structure, the personal relationships that are inherent in a "pop-up" context. Given what's he accomplished so far, there's no rush, in my view, and I've even heard chatter of an upcoming LudoBites, Version 4.0, to open early next year...

Great seeing you and everyone last night. Sorry I had to leave early, but Ludo gave me a piece of the tart on my way out, so I only missed dessert! Thanks for getting this out so quickly. A great guide to all who will be going in the coming weeks.

Thanks Kevin. Your thoughtfulness and diligence are greatly appreciated. Although the light box was for fun, I think it turned out to be a great investment and made the photos even better. What do you think they would say if you walk into Twist with one under your arm?? Enjoy and can't wait to hear.

Hardcore, Kevin. Not only did you finish posting a comprehensive review in the morning, you managed to post tons of photos!It was great seeing you and sharing this awesome meal, even though we didn't get to talk much.

Krystle: Though the menu's not finalized yet, expect most items to be in the $10 to $20 range. ;)

Cathy: I'm not sure that I would consider it "taking one for the team" exactly!

FoodDigger: Thanks again for making this happen! Do make sure to try the chocolate cake tonight, and let's not forget about picking up a copy of Crave for M. Gagnaire.

Phil: Thanks Phil. When you go, see if you can get a brief interview with Ludo to put on your site!

Krissy: I think that they'd ask me to leave, that is, unless Ludo ok'd it with Pierre first. ;) Thanks again for making the event a success!

Sonja: Great seeing you again Sonja, and thanks for the stars!

Jo: You're right that the softbox represents a more "studio" character, rather than conveying the "real" ambiance. In hindsight, I should've photographed using both methods, and compared the results. And yes, Daria does look good. ;)

Javier: Nothing but Pepsi Max, man. ;) That mole was one of the highlights of the night; you should take your mom here to try it!

Hanh: Are you going with Christine's party? And are you ever going to start blogging yourself?!?

Holly: Nice, who are you going with? If you have a chance, you might want to mention to Ludo that you'll be going to Twist this weekend as well.

Liz: You called my timing perfectly lol. I thought you were going to read it over lunch though.

Arnold: You're up in NorCal right? Where else are you going down here?

Weezer: Epic indeed. When do you plan on making it out?

Anon: The original idea was to have a changing a la carte menu. However, given the limited nature of the kitchen at Royal/T, Ludo has been considering doing a fixed menu. If you have vegetarian limitations, I would definitely talk to the restaurant beforehand; due to the environment, they're somewhat constrained in what they can do.

Linden: My speed is one of my hallmarks. ;)

Fiona: I think that handling all the event/venue photos took longer than writing about the actual food!

Kevin, I'm coming home for Christmas, and Ludo Bites is basically our first stop. Considering going back to Jitlada and Animal. Might take parents to Campanile or Lucques for their anniversary. Still want to check out The Bazaar. I'd love any other suggestions though. :)

Haha so this is what the next Royal/T project is...only a few weeks ago it was a huge Hello Kitty art show! But this brings up a good question: On what level does Ludo want to place himself in the professional chef world?

It's like the difference between comic book artists and fine artists like Picasso; which one does Ludo want to be? Ludo certainly cooks like Picasso paints, but I doubt Picasso would ever have agreed to work in a shared/limited space the way Ludo does. Or perhaps I am being too snobby? Or perhaps there isn't such a huge distinction between caliber of chefs as fine cuisine transcends all bounds?

Arnold: Some nice choices there! Looks like you have all your bases covered. May I suggest some sushi, Sushi Zo perhaps?

Danny: Yeah I was up until 6:00AM writing this--what kept me going was the desire to be first, as usual. I'll be seeing you the last day I assume?

Yena: I thought Michael Voltaggio was the one who cooks like Picasso. ;) But seriously, as an artist, I think that you're particularly sensitive to the issue. I personally find it refreshing to make the food more "accessible," so to speak. Ludo himself actually paints (he had a piece on display), so that may be one of the reasons he chose Royal/T. In addition, there probably aren't many venues in LA that would allow a pop-up restaurant, so Ludo's choices may have been limited.